A group of antitax activists launched a campaign over the weekend to abolish the state income tax, setting the stage for a contentious public battle if the measure is added to the ballot this fall.The ugliest part?
Of course, if the income tax were complete gutted, all it would mean is not only massive cuts to everything, but also a much-increased sales tax, among others. Such taxes are far less progressive and far more painful to working and middle class citizens. Yet, as patently idiotic as the measure is, that doesn't mean it can be taken lightly; a lot of people will vote for it. Hopefully, the progressive community and those who care about the services they receive from the state every day will take this cause up. It's literally the most important cause we'll see in a long, long time.How would the state cut $12 billion?
That's three times the sum the state sends cities and towns for public schools. Laying off every state employee would only save about $5 billion, said Cam Huff, a private policy consultant who studies the state budget.
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10 comments:
Maybe we should look at how Florida and New Hampshire are able to do without state income taxes first.
Yes. Please. Let's look. How's Florida's schools? What's their crime at compared to our's? Quality of life? How many millions in Florida lack health insurance? All of those are good questions...
And New Hampshire? Also health care for all is a very,very new concept in this state.
Our state income tax doesn't provide for health insurance (except for state workers). It was just a mandate to make people buy it on their own. I bet state workers in Fla, NH, Tennesse have health care.
New Hampshire (no income tax OR sales tax) gets their revenue from state liquor stores, tools, and insanely high property taxes.
Texas taxes the bejeezus out of everything including food, clothing, gas, tobacco, and alcohol. What they don't tax they apply fees to.
Florida is equally bad.
There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch, no matter how much you wish there were.
Of course there's no free lunch, but it's worth looking at how other states do it. Anything that puts more discretion in the hands of the average citizen (buy/don't buy the booze, get a bigger house pay more real estate tax) rather than Beacon Hill is worth looking at.
It's instructive to look at the no-income tax states national rankings. All are near or at bottom in education, for example.
It's also important to remember that Mitt and his merry band jacked up every fee they could touch. It's how they avoided "raising taxes."
You could also look at MN where they've put in truly regressive taxation.
I believe we still have a two tiered state tax rate. You can pay the 5.3% required, or the optional 5.7%. How many from the progressive movement volunteered to pay extra ( to help the state out)?
Wrong and who cares?
The only person I've heard make an argument that stupid is Rob Eno and he basically lives with his mother.
Florida also has speeding ticket fines that are double the rate of the national average, and are handed out significantly more often than in other states.
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